Global Research Trends in ICU Nursing Personnel: A Bibliometric Analysis (2001-2025)

With an aging population, increasing patient complexity, and rising health care burdens in the postpandemic era, ICU nursing personnel research is growing in importance. However, systematic analyses of its knowledge structure, thematic evolution, and international collaboration models remain lacking.

In this study, we used bibliometric methods to analyze trends, knowledge structures, and collaborative networks in global ICU nursing personnel research from 2001 to 2025.

We searched PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, and Scopus for ICU nursing literature from 2001 to 2025. We used descriptive bibliometric analysis to assess the distribution of countries, institutions, authors, journals, and highly cited articles. We constructed an institutional collaboration network and performed topic clustering using the Leiden algorithm based on keyword co-occurrence networks. We used Holt's linear exponential smoothing model to predict future publication trends.

We ultimately included 44,011 articles. Global ICU nursing personnel publications showed a steady upward trend, with the United States dominating in terms of publication volume and international collaboration. In a co-occurrence network analysis using the Leiden algorithm, we identified five core research themes: health care provider attitudes and management (C0), clinical management and patient outcomes (C1), evidence-based nursing and infection control (C2), pediatric intensive care (C3), and neonatal care (C4). Trend projections indicated that the annual publication output in this field will approach 5000 articles by 2030.

Global ICU nursing personnel research has expanded rapidly, with research attention shifting from clinical-practice-oriented topics toward workforce sustainability, organizational support, and nursing management. These bibliometric findings provide a knowledge map of the field and highlight the need for future empirical research and cross-regional collaboration.

Nursing managers may use these mapped trends to inform ICU nursing workforce planning, staffing allocation, organizational support, and burnout prevention. The findings may also guide research prioritization and knowledge translation into locally adaptable nursing management strategies.